Dr Ian G Tompkins <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Since the blessed 39 Articles have arisen in discussion, could
> someone
> enlighten me on the following?
>
> Article 19: Of the Church
>
> etc
>
> As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so
> also
> the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of
> Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith.
>
> The reference to the Church of Rome is obvious, but what of the other
> three? Of which groups were the Reformers thinking, and to what
> historical
> events were they referring
> Ian Tompkins
Dear Ian:
Your request deserves an answer at some length, and may incite me to
one of my "series". Briefly, Alexandria and Antioch were the two main
intellectual centres of the ancient Church. Most theology - and hence
most theological errors - derived from one or the other centre.
Most of the theological controversies of the early period were
Christological in nature; that is to say, concerned with defining the
person of Christ. Is he God? Is he Man? Is he either? Is he
neither? Is he both? Is he a bit of each? These (to put the matter
crudely) were the substance of the early controversies and heresies.
Orthodox Christology maintains that Christ is truly God and truly man.
Maintaing both these truths is a bit of a balancing act. The early
heresies tended to fall on one side or the other: by insisting that
Christ is God, to the extent of denying he is man; or the reverse.
Antioch was already a Christian centre in NT times; in fact, according
to Acts, it was in Antioch that followers of the Way were first known
as Christians. Antiochene theology could never forget that Christ was
a real human being, who had lived not very far away. Their heretics
were at pains to safeguard the humanity of Christ, sometimes to the
extent of not doing justice to his divinity.
Alexandria was some distance from the scene of Christ's early life, but
was even before the time of Christ a philosophical centre. One finds a
thriving school of Platonism here. Alexandrians were given to a
philosophical and mystical speculation which did not always keep its
feet on the ground. Consequently they affirmed the divinity of Christ,
but sometimes came up with theologies which did not adequately affirm
his humanity.
This is putting the matter very simply and crudely, and if members of
the list will be patient I shall expand on this in the next few days.
Unless, of course, someone more knowledgeable than myself wishes to
take up the baton.
Oriens.
=====
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